If it isn’t why you are already up and pumped this morning, good morning guys, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has begun. The Express’ Sriram Veera brings us real-time updates from all the action in Perth’s Optus Stadium as the first of five Test matches between India and Australia is underway. Having won the toss and opting to bat first, India haven't gotten off to the best of starts—losing opener Yashaswi Jaiswal and number three Devdutt Padikkal for ducks. India have handed two debuts to all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and paceman Harshit Rana, while Washington Sundar makes it to the XI as the lone spinner. After the first hour of play, India are 18/2 (13 overs). With that, let’s move on to today’s edition: Army probe into ‘ill-treatment’ of J&K civilians Crisis at COP29 A UP town on edge 🚨 Big Story Recap: United States prosecutors indicted the Adani Group Chairman Gautam S Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and six others on Wednesday for allegedly offering Rs 2,029 crore (US $265 million) in bribes to Indian government officials for securing “lucrative solar energy supply contracts” with state electricity distribution companies. The bid: The indictment does not establish a direct link between the government and Adani but has at its centre the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a governmental body. The manufacturing-linked solar tender in 2019 was among the first of its kind that combined electricity generation and manufacturing of modules (solar power panels) at the same time. Why so serious? The major bribery charges come nearly 22 months after the Adani group faced allegations of stock manipulation and accounting fraud from US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research. The fresh allegations are far more serious as there are documents involving conversations and other material records that show money raised from US investors was allegedly used to bribe Indian government officials. Reactions: The indictment triggered a political firestorm closer home with the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanding Adani’s immediate arrest. The Congress leader also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “protecting” the billionaire businessman. Further on the Left: Other opposition parties including Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) must be directed to immediately file a case based on the material provided by the US prosecution.“PM Modi himself had shielded Adani from any enquiry or prosecution on the charges emanating from the Hindenburg expose… The Modi government cannot hide behind any smokescreen now,” the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) said. Staying mum: The development has drawn muted responses from political parties in power, particularly the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh. It’s come to light that more than 85% of the alleged bribe was given to a top-ranking official in the state. From chief minister Chandrababu Naidu not wanting to disrupt his renewed bonhomie with Modi to courting the group to seek investments himself – there could be three possible reasons for the TDP staying wary of getting into the muddle. Rebuttal: The ruling BJP hit back and accused the Congress of “attacking the Indian market and trying to make it tank to damage the Indian economy”. It said the “matter pertains to the time between July 2021 and February 2022” when “Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha all had non-NDA governments… they had governments of the Congress or their allies”. ⚡Only in Express In this week’s Dis/Agree column, it’s all about the air. Shah Alam Khan, a professor at AIIMS Delhi, believes politicians don’t care about Delhi’s pollution caused by multiple factors because people don’t. Meanwhile, the Express’ Nikhil Ghanekar opines that the national capital isn’t alone and writes on why the government doesn’t follow the roadmap, even though it has one. 📰 From the Front Page The Indian Army has launched an investigation into allegations of “ill-treatment” of civilians during searches for a group of militants conducted by troops in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district. Sources say that the Army will look into the allegations that four men were tortured in custody. A warm welcome: Hindi headlines, Bollywood events, fan parks–as the two teams with the fiercest rivalry in world cricket kick off their freshest battle, the Indian team has almost been giddily welcomed by the Australian side. Diverse Australia is making an effort to be inclusive, and it hasn’t escaped the local population with roots in the subcontinent. 📌 Must Read ‘We lost everything’: A political storm is brewing in Jammu after a Jammu Development Authority (JDA) action sparked protests from various quarters in the Union Territory. On Thursday, the JDA demolished nearly a dozen shops built by Kashmiri Pandit migrants on land where they were initially settled by the state government around three decades ago. In distressing video clips that surfaced, the affected people, with nowhere to go, were seen mourning the 'loss of their everything'. Express@COP29: A day before talks close, the COP29 climate meet in Baku stared at a crisis with almost every country and bloc rejecting the latest draft negotiating text, not just on finance — the main focus of this conference — but on every other negotiating track. Town on edge: In Uttar Pradesh, the road to Sambhal town is dotted with security personnel, manning most of the bends. This was not always the case. After a survey of the 16th-century Shahi Jama Masjid was conducted on the basis of a petition claiming that the structure was built on the ruins of a temple, the little town in west UP has been on edge. ⏳ And Finally… “Aaj phone nahi kiya sab theek-thak hai beta (You didn’t call today… is everything okay?)”. A sense of dread had gripped Satbir Brella, a driver from New Delhi, after his WhatsApp message to his London-based daughter remained unread for hours on November 13. This was unusual for Harshita, who checked in with her parents daily since moving to London in April, following her marriage to Pankaj. After two days of ceaseless worry, Satbit would finally get an answer – not one any father seeks – through a lone phone call from Delhi Police. In today's episode of 3 Things, we discuss the incident that led to the accusations that BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde was distributing cash for votes, developments at COP29, and Delhi's AQI. Tune in! That’s all for today. Vibha B Madhava and Ayesha
